free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
So it was back to Inveruglas to carry on my quest to conquer the Munros. I knew the walk well from my last visit to Ben Vorlich. It had been a dull grey rainy morning in Glasgow before I left but as I approached Tarbet there was plenty of blue sky and and i was glad i left a couple of hours later than planned, arriving at the car park about a quarter to one. By the time i reached the bridge between vane and Vorlich i was already down to my shorts and Tshirt and although it wasn`t exactly a hot summer`s day, things were looking good as the surrounding peaks were frequently clear of cloud. After missing the path up vorlich a fortnight before i was determined to take the right path this time and it`s easily found by a small bridge over a fast flowing burn. I wondered if i should bother with my gaiters as the path looked pretty good, but was soon glad i wore them after about 30 seconds after putting them on as i squelched through the boggy path and across the burn. It really is boggy along the start of the path and i was soon knee deep in mud at some parts. It really is a steep path and i felt my calves and thighs burn as i soldiered on.
- Ben Vane
I felt good as i carried on up and was about two thirds of the way up before i met people coming down, who had walked mainly in cloud. It was getting a bit chilly in the breeze and i stopped for some tea and pasta . All around me was clear for a minute or two and then cloud seemed to rise up from the ground and within minutes it was a total whiteout. It was great just watching the cloud appear from nowhere and then just as quickly dissapear.
I was soon off again climbing and scrambling up the steep path and felt a light spittle of rain so stuck my waterproof jacket on, but that was the last of the rain. As each peak appeared again and again i thought i was at the top, but had to laugh at myself at the amount of times i do this. I took a wander off the path to my left and climbed up a rock to gaet a view of the glen below and down to loch sloy dam, when what seemed like a rainbow appeared below but it soon formed into a huge rainbow halo, spectacular. I took some pics and then stood directly in front of the sun to cast my huge shadow down the mountain.
- rainbow
- halo
I thought this was great and really enjoyed the final parts where you can climb up through the rocks to the top. I hung around taking some pics and although it was quite clear the clouds wouldn`t quite shift from the surrounding peaks.
- not there yet
- cairn
I headed back down, taking care on the steep path finding that i didn`t quite need to clamber down as there are alternative paths around the scrambly bits, and got back to the car about 6ish and feeling quite good about my day.